Adult Protective Services Program and Township Senior Services

The Adult Protective Services Program works to prevent abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of people aged sixty or older or those with disabilities aged 18 to 59. The Senior Services Department of Oak Park and River Forest Townships has trained staff to help report and prevent abuse of residents of our community who are older adults aged sixty or above as well as people aged 18 to 59 with a disability who may be a victim of abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation. Abuse takes many forms, and frequently, victims may experience more than one type of mistreatment. These might include the following:

Physical Abuse: causing the infliction of physical pain or injury to a person.

Sexual Abuse: inappropriate physical touching or sexual activity with an individual unable or unwilling to understand or consent, or under threat or force.

Confinement: restraining or isolating a person other than for medical reasons.

Passive Neglect: failure on the part of the person who might be caring for the recipient, to provide the necessities of life due to an unawareness of available services or lack of ability to adequately meet the individual’s needs.

Willful Deprivation: purposefully denying assistance to an individual and thus exposing that person to harm.

Financial Exploitation: misusing or withholding an individual’s resources, to their detriment and/or the profit or advantage of another.

The Adult Protective Services Act provides that anyone reporting a case of abuse or anyone who cooperates with an investigation in good faith is exempt from criminal or civil liability, or professional disciplinary action. Anonymous reports are accepted, and the identity of the reporter will not be disclosed except by written permission of the individual reporting, or by court order.

When reporting abuse, the reporter should keep in mind some of the following questions, and be prepared to answer some questions to the best of his or her ability. These include:

The alleged victim’s name, address, telephone number, sex, and general condition, as well as similar information pertaining to the alleged abuser.

The circumstances that have lead the reporter to suspect abuse.

Whether the victim is in any immediate danger, and

Any other relevant circumstances.

Once a report is made, Adult Protective Services will investigate the matter, and provide the individual with the right to accept or decline assistance. Where mental impairment might be involved, Adult Protective Services will work to provide services as needed, or petition the court for guardianship if required. Persons wanting to report abuse are asked to contact the Statewide Elder Abuse Hotline 24 hours a day at 1-866-800-1409 or call Oak Park Township’s Protective Services at 708-383-8060. Together we can work to help stop abuse.